– An elderly Japanese woman was scammed out of $748,000 worth of crypto tokens.
– The scammer posed as an employee of the local government and told her that her bank account was under attack.
– Crypto fraud is on the rise in Japan, with an increasing number of elderly victims being targeted.
Crypto fraud is on the rise in Japan, and one of its most recent victims was an elderly woman of eighty years. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Tamagawa station reported that the woman, from Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, was contacted by a person who claimed to be an employee of the ward offices.
The scammer told the woman that her bank account was under attack and that she should take her money out of the account before it was too late. The woman followed the caller’s instructions and used her smartphone to open a wallet on a crypto exchange, then used her bank details to buy approximately 97 million yen (around $748,000) worth of an unnamed token. The caller then requested the woman to create a password for the wallet, and shortly after the call, the crypto had “disappeared” from the wallet.
Officers believe the incident is “being investigated as a special fraud case”, as crypto fraud targeting the elderly in Japan is becoming increasingly common. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have asked citizens to remain vigilant, as scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to take advantage of vulnerable people.
In recent years there have been a number of high-profile cases in Japan involving elderly victims of crypto fraud. In 2018, an 84-year-old woman from Ashiya was scammed out of around $400,000 worth of Bitcoin, while in 2019 an elderly couple from Gifu were scammed out of around $100,000 worth of Ethereum.
The government has urged people to be aware of the dangers of online scams, and to exercise caution when dealing with any suspicious persons. People should never give out personal information, such as bank details or passwords, to anyone they don’t know and trust.
Crypto fraud is a serious issue in Japan, and authorities are doing all they can to protect vulnerable citizens. It’s important that everyone remains vigilant, and if you or someone you know has been a victim of a crypto scam, then you should contact the police immediately.